Chapter 27 (Second Update)
The train from Beijing to southern Anhui goes directly there, with constantly changing scenery along the way.
This was Luo Yan's first time taking a long-distance bus ride since she grew up, and her anticipation soon vanished.
The reason was simple: the whole car reeked of a strange smell—from smoking, sweating, and smelly feet.
Add to that the fact that it's summer, and the daytime temperature rises, making the combination even more astonishing.
Luo Yan felt nauseous but didn't dare drink any more water. Getting off the bus felt like a narrow escape.
Liu Yinfeng felt sorry for her daughter: "I knew I shouldn't have let you come."
Luo Yan took two deep breaths of fresh air and hugged her mother's arm: "I want to come too."
He looked around again and said, "I don't recognize my uncles."
Don't even mention her. Liu Yinfeng stared at her brother for a while before recognizing him, and her eyes welled up with tears before she even said a word.
The two uncles spoke in their thick local accents, rattling off a long string of words that Luo Yan couldn't understand a single one of, leaving her staring blankly.
A younger man standing nearby asked in broken Mandarin, "Yanyan, do you still remember me?"
Luo Yan, afraid of being impolite, greeted loudly, "Hello, cousin!"
She didn't actually remember, but she thought she couldn't have called it wrong.
Cousin Liu: "You've grown up, you're not shy around strangers anymore."
Luo Yan last came to southern Anhui because her father-in-law had passed away. Every day when she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by hundreds of relatives. She had never seen such a scene in Beijing, and she was so frightened that she hid behind her brother every day.
But adults have their own things to face, and now she has to greet everyone with a smile.
As the group walked out, they exchanged pleasantries and inevitably mentioned those who hadn't come.
Luo Yan could only recognize her brother's name from the dialect; she knew nothing else. Her smile became even more composed.
Seeing her reserved demeanor, Liu's cousin said, "Grandma has been waiting since early this morning. She'll definitely be happy to see you."
Luo Yan: "I miss my mother-in-law too."
They've really grown up a lot; unlike when they were little, they wouldn't just ask when they could go home.
Cousin Liu didn't really have any impression of his aunt's family, but he always remembered his cousin's dislike of the countryside when she was a child, and he reminisced about it with his other siblings before leaving home.
He now realized that he had been too petty, and his attitude softened considerably.
Luo Yan assumed that one shouldn't hit a smiling person, and her smile became even more stiff.
At times like these, she misses her brother who can stand in front of her.
Luo Hongke, far away in Beijing, didn't think of his sister at all. He took advantage of his day off to play cards with some of his childhood friends.
He was winning with great enthusiasm when someone patted him on the back. Without turning around, he said, "Who is it? So inconsiderate."
Zhou Weifang: "Your second uncle."
Luo Hong could easily recognize his voice and said, "I'm still your great-grandfather."
Then he asked, "Is the shop closed today?"
Zhou Weifang: "Someone is watching."
Luo Hong finally turned his head to look at him: "Have you found an apprentice?"
Don't underestimate the seemingly insignificant business of a car repair shop; it can still bring in a little over a hundred yuan a month.
Zhou Weifang had been looking for someone to lend a hand, but hadn't found a suitable one. He said, "I've found someone. You might even know him. He's the son of one of the foremen in the fourth workshop of your factory. He's quite special. His surname is Lei."
Luo Hong was about to say that he couldn't possibly know all the masters in the factory, but when he heard that he actually knew them, he said, "Master Lei was thinking about his son taking his place a while ago, how come he went to you?"
Zhou Weifang: "If someone takes over the family's job, there will be one less person earning money."
That's true. There are more ways to make a living now, unlike two years ago when everyone could only rely on their parents.
Luo Hong: "How much are you going to offer?"
Zhou Weifang: "Ten yuan plus lunch."
These conditions are certainly worse than being an apprentice in a state-owned factory, but getting into a factory these days isn't that easy.
Luo Hong: "Enough to support myself is enough."
Zhou Weifang: "I can barely support myself, I can't afford to give you any more."
Luo Hong: "I..."
He was so engrossed in talking that he made several mistakes with his cards, so he simply handed them to someone else: "Fatty, you play them."
The fat man looked at the hand and said, "Give me a terrible hand."
Luo Hong: "It only becomes rotten when it gets into your hands. You have no taste."
The fat man kicked him: "You're talking nonsense."
Luo Hong dodged back: "You sprayed your saliva all over my face."
The fat man scoffed and rearranged the cards.
Luo Hong, annoyed by their loud noise, retreated to a corner with Zhou Weifang: "I know what you want to ask. I've inquired, and it's true that there are rumors that bicycles can be privately sold in the future."
Workers work in three shifts, and machines run non-stop all year round. The production capacity of each factory has increased rapidly, so bicycles are currently the only major item that no longer requires a ration coupon.
Zhou Weifang had only heard about it from others, and he said bluntly, "You have to help me with the connections in your factory."
Luo Hong: "Don't worry, I'm on good terms with everyone. I'm close to everyone."
When Zhou Weifang asked someone for a favor, he would sarcastically call him "Wang the Bald."
Why bring up something you shouldn't say? Luo Hong: "Are you looking for death?"
Zhou Weifang: "Seriously, if this could be privately distributed, it would be a great opportunity. You really don't want to do it?"
Luo Hong: "I've been working for three years and am almost a permanent employee, but I haven't even earned back my investment in salary. I'm quitting."
Zhou Weifang couldn't forcefully persuade him, so he just said, "Anyway, you'll get your share of the profits from me."
Speaking of this, Luo Hong said, "If you want to do this, you must have to invest a lot of capital, right?"
Zhou Weifang: "Why are you making that face if you don't even have a couple of coins in your pocket?"
Luo Hong couldn't see his own expression, and said, "My sister has some; you can give her a share of the profits later."
Zhou Weifang wondered to himself, "Would she be willing?"
Luo Hong knows his sister best: "She never turns down money."
That's because I don't have the money to please people.
Zhou Weifang: "If I help her make money, she should at least give me a nice look, right?"
This person seems to still not understand even after I've explained it to them several times.
Luo Hong: "She's not angry with you, so why are you dwelling on this?"
Zhou Weifang didn't argue with him: "Then go back and ask her."
Luo Hong: "After about half a month, she went back to her maternal grandparents' house with my mother."
He rarely mentions his sister to his childhood friends these days, so Zhou Weifang was hearing about it for the first time and asked, "Just her and Auntie, is that enough?"
Luo Hong: "Yes."
Then she remembered that she hadn't mentioned it to him: "Our Yanzi will be working at the railway bureau in the future, so let's familiarize ourselves with it in advance."
What nonsense are you spouting? Zhou Weifang: "If you're going to show off, just be direct. How about you buy two strings of firecrackers and hang them at your door?"
Luo Hong: "No need, no need, I appreciate it."
Zhou Weifang didn't even bother with his attitude, taking two steps forward and then retreating.
He looked like he had something to say. Luo Hong said, "Why are you still hesitating?"
Zhou Weifang recalled what he had witnessed a few days ago. He was torn between fearing that he might be infringing on someone's privacy and the fear that his young child might encounter bad people.
Luo Hong, quick-tempered, said, "Just say it!"
Zhou Weifang mumbled, "I just feel that Luo Yan is growing up quite fast; she's already at the age where she could get married."
Marriage? Luo Hong: "She's not that kind of person."
Zhou Weifang: "It's hard to say, maybe they didn't tell you."
Luo Hong sensed something was off about the tone: "What do you mean?"
After a moment's thought, I guessed: "Did you catch her with someone?"
Zhou Weifang breathed a sigh of relief: "You said it yourself, I didn't."
Luo Hong: "I know who it is. That kid has no chance."
My sister met Wang Tongguang a few days ago, and he knows exactly what she said.
Zhou Weifang was afraid that the young girl would be deceived because she didn't know anything: "Just make sure she passes the test."
Luo Hong: "I didn't get it right at all. I even praised her for being good, but unfortunately Yan Yan didn't like it, so it was useless."
That's about enough for now. The rest is about a young woman's thoughts.
Luo Hong wouldn't bring it up, and Zhou Weifang shouldn't ask.
However, Zhou Weifang was relieved of one of his worries and plunged into the crowd to watch the card game.
Their lively atmosphere coincides with the lively atmosphere in southern Anhui as well.
Luo Yan ate half a pound of dirt while riding the tractor before arriving at her mother-in-law's house. After getting off the tractor, she held her bag and looked around.
A group of relatives walked out of the main hall one after another, warmly greeting the guests from afar.
As soon as Liu Yinfeng saw her mother, tears streamed down her face, and everyone crowded around to comfort her.
Luo Yandu's eyes reddened, thinking that this trip back was worthwhile.
Liu Yinfeng was genuinely happy and for a moment forgot about her daughter. It took her a while to remember her and ask her to greet each of the elders.
Luo Yan parroted what the bird said and even planned to memorize it by rote to distinguish who was who.
As a result, he was already dizzy after only half a turn and was thinking to himself, "Help!"
Fortunately, she had several cousins of the same age who were generous and took the initiative to talk to her.
Luo Yan was the best at answering, politely avoiding giving anyone a chance to point out her mistakes.
She also thoughtfully brought small gifts for everyone, along with her brother's greetings.
The Liu family has been rooted in the countryside for generations, and this is the only relative who has done well.
Liu Yinfeng didn't return empty-handed, so she naturally received a warm welcome.
Luo Yan was not left behind either.
People probably thought the capital was a big place and assumed that city kids had never seen what the countryside was like, so they deliberately took her on "unconventional" routes—picking fruit on the mountain one day and fishing in the river the next, keeping her fully occupied.
Fortunately, those who were with her were all her age, and it wasn't like the "dangerous life on the line" that children often experience, so Luo Yan was still able to accept it.
The only animals that wouldn't accept visits from the mother and daughters were probably Old Liu's chickens and ducks.
In just half a month, almost the entire army was wiped out. Luo Yan even doubted whether she had really seen them running around when she arrived.
On the eve of her departure to go home, she said, "Mom, it seems like we ate a lot."
Liu Yinfeng was well-versed in interpersonal relationships and social dynamics: "I won't let them suffer any losses."
Since the bride's brothers haven't separated from the family yet, they are still a step removed from their biological mother. If she takes advantage of the situation and leaves, her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law will likely have objections.
Luo Yan felt relieved and lay down on the bed. When she heard the door open, she sat up and called out, "Mother-in-law."
The elderly woman has only one daughter who is away from home all year round, and she doesn't know when they will meet again. The mother and daughter chattered on and on.
Luo Yan initially listened nearby, but later couldn't resist falling asleep. In her hazy state, she felt someone put something in her hand. When she woke up the next day, she found it was a red envelope and exclaimed in surprise, "Mom, I found money!"
There were only so many things to take with her. Liu Yinfeng packed several times early in the morning. She was initially saddened, but then she was amused and said, "These are from your mother-in-law."
Since she said that, Luo Yan knew the truth and accepted the gift without hesitation.
Little did they know that even this paltry sum of two yuan would be swept away by their brother upon their return to Beijing.
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Author's note: I've saved up for another chapter, so here's another one.
P.S.: Xiao Wang is a great guy, but he and Yan Yan don't quite click.
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